At Cloud 9 Foot Spa we have had the pleasure of getting to know the Whitener family who comes into our spa every two weeks. The Whitener family consists of Kim, Jim, and their 11 year old son Nick, and they love coming to the spa to relax and spend time together. They are a very kind, warm, and friendly family who don’t get a lot of time off due to their busy schedules. Kim has a demanding job as an Executive Assistant for a real estate developer and Jim is a small business owner. In addition to working full time and raising their son, Jim and Kim participate in a lot of hobbies and activities that keep them involved in their community. Kim enjoys taking walks in the park, shopping, listening to books on tape, cooking, and taking trips to their bay home. Jim likes to go hunting and fishing and coaches their sons’ different sports teams. Nick stays busy with school and is active in his sports and hobbies that include baseball, soccer, ping pong, playing with the family’s Labrador Retriever, and playing games on Xbox. We decided to interview the whole family and ask them about their experience here.
We asked the family how they discovered Cloud 9 Foot Spa. Kim reported that she found out about the spa when she purchased a Living Social voucher. She explained that she booked her appointment the next day and came in to get a full body massage. We asked her how she liked that massage and she said, “once I was there I was sold on the place and I decided to book massages for the whole family!” Kim explained that she is a big proponent of getting regular massages, stating, “I have a stressful job with long hours so it helps decrease my stress level and any muscle pain I’m experiencing with my fibromyalgia.” Fibroymyalgia is a disorder that causes widespread musculoskeletal pain which is accompanied by symptoms of chronic fatigue, sleep, mood, and memory disturbances. It is a disorder that many people live with daily that can make day-to-day life and activities very difficult. Kim stated that getting regular massages significantly helps her cope with this disorder and stated that she believes that her regular massages have been the reason she has not had a sick day at work in 3 years!
We asked Jim and Nick how the massages help them. Jim said he feels that the massages help him relieve work related stress and tension and explained that he “was the last one in the family to try the whole massage thing” and has been getting them ever since. He explained that he got his first massage as a Father’s Day gift and absolutely loved it. Nick said he feels “really relaxed” after getting massages and Kim said she notices her son is calmer after his massage as well. We pointed out that some people don’t realize that massages can really benefit children as well as adults. Kim agreed saying, “Nick used to go with me when I had massage appointments and would just sit and play with his DS in the waiting room. One day he said he wanted to try it so I booked him an appointment. I figured he would not like it but boy was I wrong! After one session he became a massage enthusiast!”
We asked why the family chooses Cloud 9 Foot Spa and they cited several different reasons. Kim explained that it is very convenient for them because they live in Pearland which is only a 15 minute drive away. She said, “the staff is great, we can always find parking, and the prices and hours are incredible!” Jim noted that “there is no other place open 7 days a week from 10am to 10 pm.” He went on to say that he likes the “relaxing environment,” the comfort of the massage chairs, and the fact that they can all get massages together as a family. Kim continued by saying that even though they are current members of Massage Envy they haven’t been back since they first started coming to Cloud 9. We asked what the differences were between the two places and she said “at Massage Envy, it’s very difficult to get the day, time, and therapist you want and it’s a lot more money for less time.” Kim said, “at Massage Envy the massage is only 50 minutes and there is a lot of chit chat from the therapist, but at Cloud 9 you get the full 60 minutes in a peaceful and relaxing environment.” She also explained that at Massage Envy they would have to make their appointments at least 3 months in advance. Kim said that at Cloud 9 Foot Spa booking appointments is easy and can even be done online! Kim said, “I also like that there is a room that accommodates all of us at the same time so we can get our foot massages together. I can even book a fun girl’s massage day with my friends and we can get massages together. You can’t do that anywhere else.”
We asked the Whiteners who their favorite massage therapists are and why. Nick said that his favorite is Jack, because he is “gentle but still firm.” Nick explained that he told his best friend Spence about Cloud 9 Foot Spa, and as a result Spence and his family went to the spa. Nick said that Spence requested Jack because of his recommendation and really enjoyed his massage. Jim stated that he likes Amy because she provides a relaxing massage that still addresses his muscle tension. Kim said that she has a lot of tightness in her neck and shoulders, and Eric is her favorite because “his hands are strong and he never seems to tire out!” Finally, we asked the family what makes it special for them to get foot massages together. Jim said, “It’s something we all look forward to all week that we can do together that everyone enjoys.” Kim said, “It’s something we can all agree on that we want to do together.” She continued by saying that while they are in the area they also go out to eat lunch and make it their weekend family time together. Nick, who has a lot of personality, said “I like it because my parents can’t talk to me or fuss at me for an entire hour!”
